Modern Renovation of an 1850’s Australian Farm House

This sublime <a href="http://inhabitat.com/renovation/">addition</a> to an 1850's-era farm house incorporates lessons from building on the harsh Australian savanna to transform the site into a modern utopia. The new addition creates a counterpoint to the original modest stone house while reflecting core elements that are site-specific. The interior is bright and open, and the addition wraps around the original farm to create a protected courtyard. Dubbed Fold, the first residential project by <a href="http://marchstudio.com.au/">March Studio</a> is both graciously modern and humble in relation to its vast surroundings.

The original house, with its meter-thick walls, wrap-around veranda, and minimal windows stood up well to harsh summer conditions, acting like a fortress against the elements when settlers were shaping the vast landscape.

The <a href="http://inhabitat.com/2010/08/13/green-renovation-adds-a-modern-touch-to-historic-austrian-barn/">new building</a> wraps around to protect the commons from the harsh south-west winds, creating a large central courtyard.

Its north-facing windows absorb direct sun in the winter, and thanks to a massive overhang they provide <a href="http://inhabitat.com/daylighting/">indirect light</a> through the summer.

The interior features a mixed-use open floor plan focused around the <a href="http://inhabitat.com/?attachment_id=172723">kitchen</a> -- this makes the home feel much bigger that its footprint would suggest.

The tin ceiling, left in its unpainted state, not only acts as an ode to the history of the property but reflects daylight deep to the back of the living space. A concrete floor help regulate temperatures.

Other simple materials update cues from the past with a modern twist, like the <a href="http://inhabitat.com/?attachment_id=172725">block wall</a> with embedded glass.

The wire mesh used to hold pot and pans is a thoughtful reuse of a common material.

The kitchen is a modernest hovering form that is every bit as sculptural as it is functional.

The clever sunken interiors are clad in locally-procured lumber, allowing the form of the home to settle into the ground.

The unique bathrooms are an eccentric play of traditional finish materials.

The copper roof inclines to become siding, protecting the property from the elements.

The roof rises out of the prairie like a small hill, becoming an abstract of the land -- its materials and form reflect the original settler’s built environment.

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